I have a habit of watching my all grain wort evaporate during my 90 minute vigorous boil, reducing the volume of soon to be precious beer and getting sad. I tend to over rinse and have an additional 3 gallons of wort that I add back to the boil pots (a 12 gallon pot and a 8 gallon pot) during the boil to make up for the evaporated loss. Good idea or a disaster waiting to happen? All additions are before the "15 minute to chill mark".

I usually start with 6.5-7 gallons of first runnings in the 8 gallon pot and about 10 gallons of second running in the 12 gallon pot. I usually try to ferment about 17 gallons for dry hop loss or transfer spillage, yeast volume loss etc. I acheive great hot break.

My thinking was that instead of adding water to the final volume to make up the evaporation loss, I add wort to the boil as the loss is happening, I'll pick a few gravity points along the way instead of losing them by adding water.

Is there any danger with only having 15 minutes of boil for the last added wort? Off flavor risk? Incomplete whatever? I know I could get another 12 gallon pot but that's not in the budget right now. Thanks for your help.

OK, so kettle volume is the reason you can't collect more wort right from the start, which is a pretty good reason!

Just about everybody in my homebrew club boils pilsner malt for 90 minutes because of the DMS potential. Of course, that is the full volume of pilsner malt wort. Your situation is a small portion of wort. I've never tried this, nor do I know anybody that did try this. If you've been doing this and haven't had any bad side effects, then I guess it works. I certainly wouldn't try boiling a full volume for only 15 minutes.

I'd never do a 15 minute full volume boil but little additions here and there seem to work. I was curious if anyone had an issue with the addition or the time that could potentially wind up doing something to the taste of the beer.

No complaints so far. Plus the 12 gallon pot full of wort is really heavy.